Let me be clear about one thing before I get into this: all golf is good golf.
You can put me anywhere in the world as long as I have a club in my hand.
And even the courses on this list are still, for the most part, good golf courses with value. You might love them. You might think they are incredible layouts. Maybe they are on your top 10 list for the top courses you’ve ever played.
Personally, I wasn’t all that impressed.
To be overrated you have to be revered by course reviewers and sought after by the average player so these courses will have their defenders.
But in my opinion, these are seven courses that I went to with high expectations only to walk away with a feeling of emptiness.
Because I’m a nice guy and I’m still partying after the Panthers won back-to-back Stanley Cups, I’m offering a better course (or at least cheaper and/or more enjoyable) to replace the overrated one on your next trip.
7. The Pete Dye Course at French Lick
Coming in hot here with two thumbs down for a course too extreme to be enjoyable. The Dye Course at French Lick is commonly submitted as one of the top public courses in the country but it feels a lot more gimmicky than other Dyes I have played. There are some wild slopes out there and it’s mind-numbingly difficult. Play as far forward as you can.
Is it a pretty setting and a nice course? Yes. Are Dye courses designed to be frustrating? Also yes.
Do I have to like it? No.
If you have the time, I would ship over to Sultan’s Run in Jasper, Ind., where you will find a much cheaper and more reasonable layout that won’t beat your brains in with a 9-iron.
6. Harbour Town
While I greatly enjoy watching the pros play Harbour Town as they navigate the single-file corridors—it’s among my favorite PGA Tour events to follow—I have no desire to go back.
The pros might be challenged in a unique way around here but this is real nightmare fuel for the average hack. Just about every hole is narrow and you are in a world of hurt if you make a mistake. On top of that, there just aren’t many memorable holes. Everything kind of blends together into one giant helping of meh.
Is it a bad golf course? No, of course not. It’s just not very exciting or imaginative.
More than anything, it’s hard to stomach the price tag for such mundane and uninspiring golf. Paying more than $500 for a place like that is lunacy.
Hilton Head isn’t my favorite area for golf in the country but try Atlantic Dunes as a change from Harbour Town.
5. Torrey Pines South
The next two are California courses that are beloved locally for good reason: they offer reasonably priced golf to residents.
Torrey Pines is a beautiful place and a nice walk along the cliffside. The South Course has seen several historic moments in the game. It’s a totally fine course in great condition and I would be there as much as I could if I was a local.
But this is at least a couple tiers below the top California courses in terms of interesting design: monotonous, difficult and completely bereft of personality. I’m not sure what the allure is. The North Course is better in my opinion.
If you are looking for another layout in the San Diego area, I am partial to Encinitas Ranch.
4. TPC Harding Park
While I fully support the concept of Harding Park offering residents affordable golf on prime San Francisco real estate, non-residents can skip this one.
If you are from out of state, you are paying $250 for what is basically a nice muni. Almost every hole runs together. It’s not a memorable golf course.
You are better off driving down the coast to play Pasatiempo, a course brimming with character. Now that is a round you will never forget.
3. Champion Course at PGA National
I’m grateful that PGA National injected some life into what was formerly known as the Honda Classic (now the Cognizant Classic of the Palm Beaches). It was my hometown event growing up and it’s sad to see the tourney kicked to the curb the past few years.
Unfortunately, the course is just littered with terrible golf holes that seem designed specifically for real estate. Everyone remembers the Bear Trap but you probably don’t remember the other dozen or so holes on that course that are the equivalent to flyover states. There is zero character there.
And this is an expensive place. If you are a guest coming in season, it could cost you $475.
I get that it’s tempting to play on a Florida golf trip because it’s the quintessential Palm Beach course but you can go to a handful of other places that are way cooler. May I suggest Palm Beach Par 3? An amazing time for way less than half the cost.
2. Blue Monster at Doral
Similar to PGA National, the Blue Monster is a lot more hype than substance.
In the middle of summer—in South Florida, no less—it costs $395 to play the Blue Monster. That’s on par with a place like Spyglass Hill. In season, we’re talking upwards of $700.
Sure, it’s in wonderful condition. Sure, it looks pretty.
Is it worth that amount? Not remotely close.
I just find that the course leaves an empty feeling. The Blue Monster is an execution test with water all over the place. It’s long, difficult and there are virtually no creative holes.
You’re not playing here for the history or the prestige. It doesn’t even host a Tour event anymore.
You can get similar Florida golf vibes without emptying your wallet out on a vapid layout like this. Try Jacaranda Golf Club in Fort Lauderdale, which has two solid courses at a fraction of the price.
1. TPC Scottsdale
Some people might be surprised to see TPC Scottsdale on the list. I get it. The WM Phoenix Open is a beloved PGA Tour event so you don’t hear a lot of negativity about this place.
For me, it was a massive letdown.
Let me start with a couple positives: the practice area is great and conditioning is excellent. I also had a really good caddie here, although I’ve heard mixed reviews from others who have played. And a couple of the closing holes are excellent, particularly Nos. 15 and 17.
However, I think this course is much better suited for professional golf. The front nine is painfully boring and a lot more difficult than you would assume. The back nine has some life but this is a tough place for a mid-handicap hacker to have any success.
When you take out the grandstands, a lot of these holes are way less impressive. The 16th hole is just a normal par-3 you could find anywhere.
What really puts it over the top for me is that you can find much better (and significantly cheaper) golf in the valley. You’re shelling out maybe $400 or $500 in season. It’s not like this is your only option. And it’s not like TPC Scottsdale is so historically meaningful that you have to play it or the whole trip is ruined.
If you’re planning golf in Arizona, go play We-Ko-Pa. That place slaps.
So those are my seven most overrated courses. Agree or disagree? Have other suggestions?
Let me know in the comments.
Sly Panther
4 months ago
I have played 4 of the 7 course you have listed; I agree completely with your assessment of those 4, and agree the other 3 are likely also over rated. Harding Park was likely a more difficult course before TPC came in, trees growing very close together, branches overlapped and intertwined, required both being very accurate off the tee, and into the greens. The renumbered 14th hole I think, had a extreme amount of trees and upper limbs that overlapped the right 2/3rds of the green, requiring that you drive it only 5 – 10 yards right of the left water hazard to get some angle into the green. If you drove into the right side of the fairway, you were completely blocked and had to chip a 5 iron links golf style to the left front corner, maybe need to roll it through the bunker. The 15th, a par three had a identical tree interference, but if you were talented, you could tee your ball a inch off the ground and take 2 – 3 clubs more than the club that you could strike the distance of the hole and strike a very high shot to clear the trees. The 16th hole moved the tees back to what was original back tee box, I frequently struck my tee shot from there, the new green gobbled up the back practice green, better than the front green, slopes, elevation changes; they held national putting contest qualification on it. Some lengthened holes were no big deal playing titanium head, graphite drivers with solid core balls, rather than persimmon head steel shafted drivers and wound mushy balls. The last abomination was the horse shoe par 5 that was the 3rd hole. Added about 125 yards to the length, scorecard listed it as 550 yards, but is closer to 700 yards, longest par 5 I’ve ever played, played a coupe of par 6’s that were that length, but both in drier sections of country with ground run off drives, down hill. Harding is separated from the pacific by a open fresh water lake, always soft, no roll out, and occasionally pretty stiff winds that would affect shots at 13, head wind, 14,15,16,17 side winds. Other holes were minorly affected due to heavy tree density.